For Provider Participants: Partnerships

These questions are offered as a discussion guide:
• How do we build effective partnerships with veterans, military service groups and the public and private organizations that serve them to help us strengthen and coordinate transportation in our communities?
• What are the do’s and don’ts of these partnerships?
• What has worked or not worked for you?
• What do you see as the Federal government’s proper role in these partnerships?

Status List:

What can we do to be assured that there are effective plans for evacuation transportation for veterans with disabilities, veterans without access to a car and their families during emergencies and disasters?
Also, in many parts of the country extreme climate is becoming the norm. What precautions and special arrangements need to be made to ensure that veterans with disabilities, older veterans, and others who are vulnerable
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In the San Francisco Bay Area veterans travel long distances to access services from VA health care facilities that frequently require traveling through multiple counties and transit agencies. A group of transit agencies from Marin to Monterey County in collaboration with a non-profit transportation provider is working to coordinate information and resources to assist veterans faced with this challenge. The service model
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As lead agency for regional coordination under the banner EasTexConnects, the East Texas Council of Governments worked with partners on an Interconnectivity Day on May 10th to illustrate the benefits of public transportation. The premise was that providers would provide free transportation to those using more than one mode. To give the day focus, veterans were targeted to make a multimodal trip to the Dallas VA Hospital.
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Similar to frequent flyer miles, NEMT providers should offer frequent traveler points that will add up whenever transportation services is used. After so many points you can get free or discounted rides based on your point system. This would actually encourage people to continue using your service and in return you would help them have a better quality of life by getting out. It doesn't necessarily have to be just to
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My experience has been that it is very difficult to find who to talk to within veterans organizations. I have talked to different veterans organizations, VSOs, Dept. of VA and VA hospitals and they all have differing views on transportation and what can and needs to be done. There is a movement to create mobility managers and new accessible transportation programs within veteran systems. Two problems with this are that
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Our transit agency provided low cost fare cards to the local Veterans Group one time. I feel that there should be some monies to allow the Veterans' Groups to purchase fare cards that could be utilized by Veterans who are now unable to drive.

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My understanding is some of the obstacles to providing accessible transportation services through an all volunteer network is the extra requirements of a CDL versus a chauffeur's license and a preference for driving vans as opposed to buses. What strategies have been successful in building volunteer veteran transportation networks and sustaining them over time?

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2-1-1 is free a national helpline that connects the community to all social services and health related resources. This system is in place and could be a valuable tool to connect those with transportation needs in any area and link up vets and individuals with disabilities to necessary resources such as food, supports, shelter services, and basic needs.2-1-1's need to be in the conversation when talking about creating
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I am a veteran and a transportation professional. VA has a new transportation initiative and a small staff to work on Veteran's transportation issues. That group has two problems, legal constraints keep them from using the money that they already spend in innovative ways and very limited new funds to expand existing programs. Why not allow a half dozen pilot projects where the VA and local mobility managment stakeholders
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Hello All. I was really impressed... an Access A Ride customized London Cab looking vehicle pulled up at the BRONX VA and when the driver got out and opened the door... there was a tricked out, handicapped accessible ride with a ramp and dual sliding doors. That's the sort of thing we need to see more and more of. More vehicles and more availability. Also I would like to mention... here in NYC, on many occasions I have
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During reintegration, it's important to equip veterans with the skills necessary to navigate to destinations. Affordable and accessible transportation is essential. A partnership of veterans organizations, transportation providers, council of government/city/county/chambers can work together to develop a travel training program that can help veterans and service members navigate to the VA hospital or post would help.
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The initiation of a volunteer transportation program was brought about with this goal in mind: transport Polk County residents to any place, at anytime and wherever the destination the individual may need to go. The Central Iowa Shelter & Services VISTA Veterans Outreach Project group factored improved quality of life rides as a major determinant in our decision making processes. By providing a volunteer transportation
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There is now a dialysis treatment center in Mason County, Washington which is used by rural residents who formerly had to travel long distances to other centers for treatment. The new dialysis treatment center is a result of a multi-year effort by a broad community coalition.
Is it possible for the location of Veterans Medical Centers to be better aligned with where their patient population lives? Locating facilities
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Coordinate a multistage effort to arrange and reduce problems with veterans transportation to medical treatment facilities. Medical treatment facilities can work with transit agencies to block specific dates for veterans living in remote access areas that use local transit agencies to provide service. In cases where the two agencies cannot resolve the issue the county Veterans Service Agency should get involved to help
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i just read that Regional Valley Transit in Idaho has donated a wheelchair-accessible bus to Parma Senior Center. The Center will use the bus to provide transportation for two primary activities, one of which will be transportation to the Veterans Medical Center.

Is this a model of partnership (public transit and senior center) that it would be helpful to replicate in other communities?

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In working with the hundreds of communities we reach, the major message we hear is the power of coalitions. With the FTA's new Veterans Community Living Initiative, we have the opportunity to expand these coalitions to ensure that organizations serving veterans and military famiies have a seat at the planning table. Ideally, this would also include direct representation by veterans, their families and service members
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